Campaigners just £7,600 short of £192,400 target to save pub

Members of the public are being given a last chance to own a slice of a pub - and help to save it.

The Campaign to Save the Silks, launched in March, aims to buy and run the Silks on the Downs Pub in Ogbourne St Andrew on behalf of the community.

The Ogbourne Pub Society, the group of local residents behind the campaign, set a minimum of £200,000 as their target and are now only £7,600 short of that sum.

As a result, the group have decided to extend the deadline to 10 August.

Stuart Williamson, Chair of the Ogbourne Community Pub Society, said: “It’s amazing to have got this far and shows the confidence people have in not just our plan but also the vital role that pubs can play in helping to create thriving communities.  

"Thank you to everyone who has helped so far.  But we’re not there yet – we need to raise at least another £7,600.  But let’s not stop there – the more we raise the less we might have to borrow.  

"That’s why we’re calling on everyone to please help us by raising as much as we can. With your help we really can Save the Silks”

The pub last opened its doors in March of last year. The campaigners says the money raised, in addition to any grants and loans the group hopes to secure, will not only help safeguard the future of the pub but also enable it to undergo a transformation, creating a vibrant and welcoming venue where friends and families from near and far can come together.

Having agreed a price in principle with the owners, if the group is successful in raising at least £200,000 it hopes it can buy the pub later this year. Success will also enable the group to apply for match funding from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund as well as secure potential funds from organisations such as the Plunkett Foundation. 

The intention is that the pub will offer additional services to provide benefits to the community, particularly those addressing isolation and loneliness.  The campaigners aim to make the venue a more accessible and welcoming place to meet and connect with the community while also hosting lunches and dinners for various local charities and groups.  

There are also plans to provide access to lifesaving equipment for the community as well as other services such as a takeaway and home delivery service to those in the immediate vicinity.  

More information on how own a slice of a pub from as little as £200 can be found at https://www.savethesilks.org/, and the campaigners can be contacted at [email protected]